Steves:  I fear that the same swaths of our country that struggle as ‘food deserts’ will suffer as ‘media deserts’

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which oversees national public broadcasting policy, and Rick Steves, longtime American Public Television host of Rick Steves’ Europe travel series and host of Travel with Rick Steves on public radio blasted the Trump Administration for its assault on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). 

Over the last week, the Trump Administration has illegally terminated CPB board members, issued an Executive Order cutting all funding to NPR and PBS and proposed defunding the CPB in its skinny budget.

“These illegal actions threaten the viability of local public broadcasting stations across the country—which will deprive communities of the local journalism, quality children’s programming, and emergency alerts they depend on,” Sen. Cantwell said.  “The Trump Administration is unilaterally bypassing Congress’s role in funding and staffing the non-partisan, non-profit Corporation for Public Broadcasting.  Instead of cutting off funding for locally-focused media like the Alaska Rural Communications Service, Northwest Public Broadcasting, and Harvest Media in the Great Plains, President Trump should focus on fixing the economic chaos he has single-handedly created.”

“For thirty years I’ve produced public TV and radio programming mindful of how our Founding Fathers saw the press and journalism as a key to the strength and stability of our democracy.  That’s why it’s considered the ‘Fourth Pillar’ of our Government,” said Rick Steves, from the Rick Steves Europe headquarters in Edmonds, Washington where he produces a best-selling guidebook series, and his popular public television show and weekly public radio show.

“I’m thankful for how public broadcasting is available at no cost for everyone and how it contributes to a thoughtful and curious citizenry,” Steves added.  And I believe the rationale for investing in the CPB to help give our media landscape a non-commercial alternative—to make our democracy stronger and smarter—has proven to be sound.”

Steves continued:  “I believe this thoughtful oasis in our media landscape is particularly important now, as our world is ever-more complex and so much media does not have a mission to educate.  And I fear that the same swaths of our country that struggle as ‘food deserts’ will suffer as ‘media deserts’ if a cut in funding makes bringing quality programming to rural and less affluent corners of our country impossible.  Thanks to public broadcasting, less privileged citizens who have a passion for something and work hard at it have a better chance to realize their dreams. It's a beautiful thing about America.”

“Public broadcasting brings the sights and sounds of our world to the most rural corners of America for free. And I know my colleagues and I who believe in the mission of PBS and NPR are committed to being good stewards of any government funding that helps support our work,” he said.  “I stand with PBS and its member stations against those that threaten their ability to serve communities throughout this country with independent, non-partisan programming.”

Northwest Public Broadcasting (NWPB) reaches more than 3.6 million people in 44 counties throughout Washington state and parts of Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia. Approximately half of the population reached receives public radio broadcast signals exclusively through NWPB. Northwest Public Broadcasting stations are licensed to Washington State University.